Bond star Craig in drag for Women's Day film

British actor Daniel Craig waves to Japanese fans as he arrives at the Japanese premiere for his latest James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" in Tokyo November 25, 2008. REUTERS/Issei Kato

LONDON (Reuters) - James Bond actor Daniel Craig has dressed in drag for a short film about sexual equality made to coincide with International Women’s Day on Tuesday.

The film, available on YouTube here is directed by "Nowhere Boy" film maker and artist Sam Taylor-Wood and features the voice of actress Judi Dench in the style of "M," her spymaster character in the Bond movie franchise.

The script asks a besuited Craig-as-Bond a series of questions about issues facing women including pay inequality and domestic violence.

Craig, who is silent throughout, then appears in a long blonde wig, knee-length dress and women’s shoes as Dench reads a list of statistics designed to underline the extra hurdles women face in today’s society.

“Bond is challenged by ‘M’ to think about gender inequality, and I hope that the film encourages viewers to do the same,” said Taylor-Wood.

“Despite great advances in women’s rights, statistics show that when it comes to the balance of power between the sexes, equality is far from being a global reality.”